SOCIAL
YouTube and TikTok Add New Options for Automated Captions, Improving Accessibility
YouTube has taken a new step in advancing the use of subtitles in its app, while TikTok is also looking to expand its accessibility features by making auto-subtitles available on all clips.
First off, on YouTube – today, YouTube Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan has announced that creators can more easily outsource the creation and editing of subtitles on their clips within the YouTube Studio app.
Subtitles are key to making content more accessible. So we’ve rolled out a feature that lets @YouTubeCreators delegate the creation & editing of subtitles to 3rd parties securely – hoping this saves creators time & allows even more content to be available to viewers… pic.twitter.com/K75s25EDGT
— Neal Mohan (@nealmohan) April 12, 2022
As you can see here, now, within the ‘Permissions’ element, there’s a new option to add a ‘Subtitles editor’ role within the app, so that you can grant access to a third party to manage subtitles on your clips.
That will help to improve the accuracy and readability of captions on your content. YouTube does, it’s worth noting, also offer automated subtitles on all uploads, but as they are automated, they’re not always accurate, which is especially true for certain languages, and this option will facilitate additional management capacity on this aspect.
TikTok’s also looking to upgrade caption access, and improve usability for more people, by switching English language auto-captions on by default for all uploads.
As you can see in this alert, shared by social media expert Matt Navarra, TikTok’s looking to expand the availability of captions by turning them on by default. Users can still include their own captions, which would negate this step, while they can also turn auto-generated captions off, or change the language display options, within the upload flow.
Though in most cases, you may as well leave them on – and you can edit the auto-captions after they’ve been created, and for most short clips in the app, it’s probably not going to take long to ensure that they’re correct.
In any event, it’ll bring more text options to more TikTok clips, which can only help to improve accessibility, while also helping users viewing in ‘sound off’ environments to get better context as to what your videos are about.
Accessibility has become a key focus for social apps in recent years, with every platform adding more tools and options to help a broader range of users access their content. Which is a positive step, and a significant development for the more than 70 million deaf people worldwide.
Further to this, with more than 80% of deaf people living in developing regions, this is also a critical consideration for apps as they reach new markets, and with both TikTok and YouTube seeing broader adoption around the world, it’s important that each app takes relevant steps to maximize utility.
SOCIAL
Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?
In a recent announcement, Snapchat revealed a groundbreaking update that challenges its traditional design ethos. The platform is experimenting with an option that allows users to defy the 24-hour auto-delete rule, a feature synonymous with Snapchat’s ephemeral messaging model.
The proposed change aims to introduce a “Never delete” option in messaging retention settings, aligning Snapchat more closely with conventional messaging apps. While this move may blur Snapchat’s distinctive selling point, Snap appears convinced of its necessity.
According to Snap, the decision stems from user feedback and a commitment to innovation based on user needs. The company aims to provide greater flexibility and control over conversations, catering to the preferences of its community.
Currently undergoing trials in select markets, the new feature empowers users to adjust retention settings on a conversation-by-conversation basis. Flexibility remains paramount, with participants able to modify settings within chats and receive in-chat notifications to ensure transparency.
Snapchat underscores that the default auto-delete feature will persist, reinforcing its design philosophy centered on ephemerality. However, with the app gaining traction as a primary messaging platform, the option offers users a means to preserve longer chat histories.
The update marks a pivotal moment for Snapchat, renowned for its disappearing message premise, especially popular among younger demographics. Retaining this focus has been pivotal to Snapchat’s identity, but the shift suggests a broader strategy aimed at diversifying its user base.
This strategy may appeal particularly to older demographics, potentially extending Snapchat’s relevance as users age. By emulating features of conventional messaging platforms, Snapchat seeks to enhance its appeal and broaden its reach.
Yet, the introduction of message retention poses questions about Snapchat’s uniqueness. While addressing user demands, the risk of diluting Snapchat’s distinctiveness looms large.
As Snapchat ventures into uncharted territory, the outcome of this experiment remains uncertain. Will message retention propel Snapchat to new heights, or will it compromise the platform’s uniqueness?
Only time will tell.
SOCIAL
Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach
While it is tempting to try to appeal to a broad audience, the founder of alcohol-free coaching service Just the Tonic, Sandra Parker, believes the best thing you can do for your business is focus on your niche. Here’s how she did just that.
When running a business, reaching out to as many clients as possible can be tempting. But it also risks making your marketing “too generic,” warns Sandra Parker, the founder of Just The Tonic Coaching.
“From the very start of my business, I knew exactly who I could help and who I couldn’t,” Parker told My Biggest Lessons.
Parker struggled with alcohol dependence as a young professional. Today, her business targets high-achieving individuals who face challenges similar to those she had early in her career.
“I understand their frustrations, I understand their fears, and I understand their coping mechanisms and the stories they’re telling themselves,” Parker said. “Because of that, I’m able to market very effectively, to speak in a language that they understand, and am able to reach them.”Â
“I believe that it’s really important that you know exactly who your customer or your client is, and you target them, and you resist the temptation to make your marketing too generic to try and reach everyone,” she explained.
“If you speak specifically to your target clients, you will reach them, and I believe that’s the way that you’re going to be more successful.
Watch the video for more of Sandra Parker’s biggest lessons.
SOCIAL
Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement
Instagram’s testing out some new options to help spice up your live-streams in the app, with some live broadcasters now able to select a game that they can play with viewers in-stream.
As you can see in these example screens, posted by Ahmed Ghanem, some creators now have the option to play either “This or That”, a question and answer prompt that you can share with your viewers, or “Trivia”, to generate more engagement within your IG live-streams.
That could be a simple way to spark more conversation and interaction, which could then lead into further engagement opportunities from your live audience.
Meta’s been exploring more ways to make live-streaming a bigger consideration for IG creators, with a view to live-streams potentially catching on with more users.
That includes the gradual expansion of its “Stars” live-stream donation program, giving more creators in more regions a means to accept donations from live-stream viewers, while back in December, Instagram also added some new options to make it easier to go live using third-party tools via desktop PCs.
Live streaming has been a major shift in China, where shopping live-streams, in particular, have led to massive opportunities for streaming platforms. They haven’t caught on in the same way in Western regions, but as TikTok and YouTube look to push live-stream adoption, there is still a chance that they will become a much bigger element in future.
Which is why IG is also trying to stay in touch, and add more ways for its creators to engage via streams. Live-stream games is another element within this, which could make this a better community-building, and potentially sales-driving option.
We’ve asked Instagram for more information on this test, and we’ll update this post if/when we hear back.
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